Labor Day in the United States Home Calendar Holidays the United States Labor Day Labor Day in the United States Labor Day is on the first Monday of September every year. It was originally organized to celebrate various labor unions' strengths of and contributions to the United States' economy. Labor Day is a day off in the US. Labor Day is a day of rest for many Americans. ©iStockphoto.com/Martin Novak Celebrate Labor Day Labor Day is a day of rest or the last chance for many people to go on trips before the summer ends. For students, it is the last chance to organize parties before school starts again. In some neighborhoods, people organize fireworks displays, barbecues and public arts or sports events. The American football season starts on or around Labor Day and many teams play their first game of the season during Labor Day weekend. Public Life Labor Day is a federal holiday. All Government offices, schools and organizations and many businesses are closed. Some public celebrations, such as fireworks displays, picnics and barbecues, are organized, but they are usually low key events. As it is the last chance for many people to take summer trips, there may be some congestion on highways and at airports.

Public transit systems do not usually operate on their regular timetables. About Labor Day The first Labor Day was held in 1882. Its origins stem from the desire of the Central Labor Union to create a holiday for workers. It became a federal holiday in 1894. It was originally intended that the day would be filled with a street parade to allow the public to appreciate the work of the trade and labor organizations. After the parade, a festival was to be held to amuse local workers and their families. In later years, prominent men and women held speeches. This is less common now, but is sometimes seen in election years. One of the reasons for choosing to celebrate this on the first Monday in September, and not on May 1 , which is common in the rest of the world, was to add a holiday in the long gap between Independence Day and Thanksgiving. About Labor Day in other countries Read more about Labor Day . Labor Day Observances Why do we celebrate Labor Day? | HowStuffWorks Why do we celebrate Labor Day? Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor Photo courtesy U.S.

Library of Congress ­For a lot of people, Labor Day means two things: a day off and the end of summer. But why is it called Labor Day? Labor Day is a day set aside to pay tribute to working men and women. It has been celebrated as a national holiday in the United States and Canada since 1894. ­­Labor unions themselves celebrated the first labor days in the United States, although there's some speculation as to exactly who came up with the idea. Most historians credit Peter McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, with the original idea of a day for workers to show their solidarity. Others credit Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J. Up Next The History of Easter Quiz The first Labor Day parade occurred Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City. The workers' unions chose the first Monday in September because it was halfway between Independence Day and Thanksgiving . The idea spread across the country, and some states designated Labor Day as a holiday before the federal holiday was created.

President Grover Cleveland signed a law designating the first Monday in September as Labor Day nationwide. This is interesting because Cleveland was not a labor union supporter. In fact, he was trying to repair some political damage that he suffered earlier that year when he sent federal troops to put down a strike by the American Railway Union at the Pullman Co. in Chicago, IL. That action resulted in the deaths of 34 workers. In European countries, China and other parts of the world, May Day, the first day in May, is a holiday to celebrate workers and labor unions. Before it became an international workers holiday, May Day was a celebration of spring and the promise of summer. Membership in labor unions in the United States reached an all-time high in the 1950s when about 40 percent of the work force belonged to unions. Today, union membership is about 14 percent of the working population. Labor Day now carries less significance as a celebration of working people and more as the end of summer. Schools, government offices and businesses are closed on Labor Day so people can get in one last trip to the beach or have one last cookout before the weather starts to turn colder.

For lots more information on Labor Day, check out these links on the next page. Samuel Gompers on Labor Day Labor Day differs in every essential way from the other holidays of the year in any country. All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man's prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Labor Day...is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation. Samuel Gompers, founder and longtime president of the American Federation of Labor 1 History of Labor Day | United States Department of Labor History of Labor Day Labor Day: What it Means Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. Labor Day Legislation Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From these, a movement developed to secure state legislation.

The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the year four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories. Founder of Labor Day More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers. Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold." But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged.

Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic. "The Real Maguire - Who Actually Invented Labor Day?" The First Labor Day The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883. In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date.

The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country. A Nationwide Holiday The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take was outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement. The character of the Labor Day celebration has undergone a change in recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass displays and huge parades have proved a problem. This change, however, is more a shift in emphasis and medium of expression. Labor Day addresses by leading union officials, industrialists, educators, clerics and government officials are given wide coverage in newspapers, radio, and television.

The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker. Learn About Life in the U.S. | USA.gov American Holidays Federal Holidays Many government offices close on federal holidays and some private businesses may close as well. If the holiday falls during the weekend, the government may observe it on a different day. Federal employees receive pay and many receive time off for federal holidays . 2017 Federal Holidays Monday, January 2: New Year’s Day* Monday, January 16: Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Monday, February 20: Washington’s Birthday Monday, May 29: Memorial Day Tuesday, July 4: Independence Day Monday, September 4: Labor Day Monday, October 9: Columbus Day Friday, November 10: Veterans Day** Thursday, November 23: Thanksgiving Day Monday, December 25: Christmas Day *January 1, 2017 (the legal public holiday for New Year's Day), falls on a Sunday. Most federal offices will be closed on Monday, January 2, 2017, in observance of New Year's Day. **November 11, 2017 (the legal public holiday for Veterans Day), falls on a Saturday. Most federal offices will be closed on Friday, November 10, 2017, in observance of Veterans Day. On Inauguration Day, Friday, January 20, 2017, many federal offices in the Washington, DC, area will be closed. Commonly Celebrated Holidays and Observances Some holidays honor specific groups and events, such as Valentine’s Day, Earth Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Flag Day, and Halloween. These are not federal holidays.

Some holidays and observances receive Presidential proclamations. Ethnic and Religious Holidays Various ethnic and religious groups in the United States celebrate days with special meaning to them. Some of these holidays include Easter for Christians, the High Holy Days for Jews, Ramadan for Muslims, Day of Vesak for Buddhists, and Diwali for Hindus. The United States issues paper currency and coins to pay for purchases, taxes, and debts. Paper Money American paper currency is issued in several denominations : $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing manufactures paper money. It also redesigns money , with new appearances and enhanced security features to prevent counterfeiting. You can purchase commemorative or bulk versions of American currency through the Bureau's Money Store. The United States no longer issues bills in larger denominations, such as $500, $1,000, $5,000, and $10,000 bills. However, they are still legal tender and may still be in circulation.

Coins The United States issues several denominations, with the most common being: 1¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, 50¢, and $1. The U.S. Mint is responsible for manufacturing and circulating coins to pay for goods and services. It also issues collectible and commemorative coins that honor a person, place, or event and are available for purchase . Mutilated Money If you have paper money that is extremely damaged, you can redeem it with the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Examples of damaged paper money include bills that are less than one half of the bill, or in such a condition that you are unable to tell the denomination of the bill. If you have paper money that is dirty, defaced, torn, or more than half of the original size, you can take it to your local bank to exchange it for a bill that is in better shape. If you have any coins that are fused, melted, or mutilated in any other way, you can send them to the U.S. Mint for evaluation. You can exchange other coins that aren't severely damaged at your local bank. Back to Top Help for New Immigrants The U.S.

Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) offers a free guide, Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants, which helps new immigrants find basic information on how to settle in the United States. USCIS can also assist you in finding federal government resources and organizations that can help you learn English, apply for U.S. citizenship, manage money, find child care, and more. Back to Top Museums Museums collect and care for objects of scientific, artistic, or historical importance and make them available for public viewing. They generally concentrate on a particular subject, and most belong to one or more of the following categories: Fine Arts or Applied Arts History—Natural, Cultural, and Military Science Anthropology and Ethnology (branch of anthropology that analyzes cultures) Children's Museums Back to Top Official Language of the United States There is no "official" language at the federal level for the United States. Although the most commonly used language is English , more than 300 languages are spoken or signed by the population. Some individual states list English as their official language. If you would like the United States or your state to adopt an official language, you should contact your elected officials .

The federal government is required to provide access to federal programs and federally assisted programs for people with limited English proficiency . Back to Top States and State Capitals The Library of Congress provides historical information and fun facts about each state in the United States , including when they became a state, their nickname, and capital. If you need information on state programs and services, browse your state government website . Back to Top Time Zones The continental U.S. (including Alaska) spans five time zones . American Samoa, Hawaii, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are located in additional time zones. Daylight Saving Time is a widely used system in the U.S. that adjusts the official local time forward one hour during spring and summer months. Clocks are moved ahead one hour on the second Sunday in March at 2 a.m. (local time). Clocks are moved back one hour on the first Sunday in November at 2 a.m. (local time). Some people remember which way to move their clocks by using the phrase, "spring forward, fall back." Daylight Saving Time is not observed in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and most of Arizona.

Back to Top Do you need help? Ask us any question about the U.S. government for free. We'll get you the answer, or we'll tell you where to find it. Why do we celebrate Labor Day? Here's what you need to know about the holiday : CULTURE : Tech Times Why do we celebrate Labor Day? Here's what you need to know about the holiday 29 August 2014, 1:28 pm EDT By Laura Rosenfeld Tech Times Labor Day comes on the first Monday every September. Most Americans know it as a day off from work, but why is this the case? ( Getty Images ) Advertisement Labor Day means many things to us. For most, it means a day off from work. For many, it means the unofficial end of summer and the beginning of fall. For some, it means a chance to get away for a long weekend. However, Labor Day is one of those holidays that you reap the benefits from but that many people don't actually know the true significance of. The commercialization of many holidays, including Labor Day, also hasn't helped with that. So in case you're wondering, Labor Day actually has a long historical tradition about the workers that built this nation.

Read on to find out what this holiday is all about so that when you're sipping Mai Tais on the beach, you know why you're able to do so. What is Labor Day? (Photo : foxadhd / Tumblr) Labor Day is a United States federal holiday that takes place on the first Monday in September every year. In 2014, the holiday falls on Sept. 1. It's a day dedicated to celebrating the efforts of workers, past and present, that have helped provide the social, political and economic backbone of this country. How did it start? Labor Day was borne out of the U.S. labor movement toward the end of the 19th century when workers sought better working conditions, fairer wages and union representation. There is some debate over who is the true founder of the holiday. For much of history, Peter McGuire, the founder of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, was credited as the founder of Labor Day. Sources say that McGuire stood in front of the New York Central Labor Union on May 12, 1882 to declare that a day be set aside to celebrate the nation's workforce.

However, recent research from the New Jersey Historical Society questions McGuire's role in the holiday's creation. The organization found a column in the New Jersey-based newspaper the Morning Call that referred to Matthew Maguire, a Central Labor Union of New York leader, as the "Father of the Labor Day holiday." Some believe that McGuire received credit for the founding of Labor Day because Maguire's views were too radical. At any rate, the first Labor Day holiday was signed into law in Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Oregon in 1887. The ordinance passed in many of the other states through the years, and on June 28, 1894, Congress declared the first Monday in September as Labor Day. Why is Labor Day in September? (Photo : Giphy) Although you probably think Labor Day is in September to liven up a not-so-festive time of the year, the month was actually chosen because a Knights of Labor conference was being held in New York on Sept. 5, 1882 , the date of the first Labor Day celebration.

Though the Central Labor Union held the event on that date the next year, by 1884, the group decided to celebrate the holiday on the first Monday in September. Labor Day was almost moved to May 1. The idea started when the American Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions sought a universal eight-hour workday by May 1, 1886. However, the law failed to pass in time, which caused a general strike and the Haymarket Riot in Chicago. As President Grover Cleveland got ready to sign the holiday into law in 1894, he worried that people would forever associate the May 1 date with the Haymarket Riot, which could encourage violence. So he decreed the first Monday in September as Labor Day, as many states had already done. Why aren't you supposed to wear white after Labor Day? (Photo : Giphy) Everyone knows that one of the rules of fashion is that once Labor Day comes and goes, it's time to pack away those white jeans until summer comes again. Where did this seemingly arbitrary rule come from? White clothing has long been seen as a way to stay cool in the summer months.

Some say it was the uniform of escaped urbanites during the warmer months, so when you returned to the city upon summer's end, you would get back to your regular routine of wearing darker clothing. As the middle class expanded in the 1950s, the "no white after Labor Day" rule became a way those of old money and some smart social climbers could distinguish who really belonged in the upper eschelons of society. These days, the rule doesn't carry as much clout as it once did, but even if you choose to wear a white dress in the middle of February, you still know you're not supposed to be doing it. Do other countries celebrate Labor Day? The U.S. isn't the only country to set aside a day to celebrate workers. Labour Day is also celebrated on the first Monday in September in Canada. Australians celebrate Labour Day in March or October, depending on what territory they live in. Labor Day is celebrated on the first Friday of June in the Bahamas. Most countries around the world celebrate International Workers' Day, or May Day, on May 1. What does Labor Day mean to us today?

(Photo : Giphy) No, Labor Day isn't just a poorly reviewed movie starring Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin these days. There's still plenty of labor issues at play. In addition to concerns over unemployment rates, the gender wage gap and a livable minimum wage have been hot topics in recent years. But observing Labor Day every year hasn't really seemed to affect very much. What can you do this Labor Day? (Photo : dylthug / Tumblr) If you're not planning on using your day off to go away for the weekend or throw a barbecue, there's plenty for you to do not too far from home. You can probably find a Labor Day sale at your favorite store or car dealership. There's also some "major" TV events happening this year, such as the Lifetime Original Movie "The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story," History's mini-series "Houdini" and a ton of marathons of your favorite movies and TV shows. Go ahead and binge-watch. You deserve it.

TAG Labor Day and May Day: The Origin of Two Holidays | Dictionary.com Blog Home » Calendar Events » History » Labor Day and May Day: The Origin of Two Holidays Labor Day and May Day: The Origin of Two Holidays September 4, 2015 by: Dictionary.com 55 Comments For many of us, Labor Day, which falls on the first Monday in September, means the end of summer vacation, a forceful ordainment not to wear white, and an excuse for department stores to have sales. Outside of North America, Labor Day falls on May 1, and the existence of two separate Labor Days can be a source of confusion for some. But as with all holidays, it’s important to keep in mind the history behind our happy day off, and remember that Labor Day is a celebration of laborers, introduced at a time when labor meant something far more grueling than it generally denotes today. The first Labor Day celebration took place in NYC on September 5, 1882, when about 10,000 union workers marched in a parade to honor the American worker, who at the time were without the labor laws we now take for granted.

This event was a catalyst that spread the Labor Day sentiment across America. Beginning with Oregon in 1887, a number of states adopted Labor Day as a legal holiday scheduled for the first Monday of September. But the holiday did not remedy the labor situation in Industrial Revolution era America. In 1894 the entire railroad system was compromised by the strike and boycott against the Pullman Palace Car Company, a railroad company guilty of terrible treatment of their workers. In response to the Pullman Strike, President Grover Cleveland ordered federal troops to take action, which escalated the violence and caused several deaths. It was in the midst of this strike that President Cleveland, in an effort to appease a livid public, passed a bill that made Labor Day a national holiday. Labor Day continues to this day, intended to be a reminder of the struggle of the labor workforce. Elsewhere in the world, laborers are honored on May Day (May 1), also known as International Workers’ Day. This holiday was instituted by countries worldwide in response to the Haymarket Riot of 1886, a peaceful protest gone awry with another violent altercation against the Chicago workforce by the police.

Although the events that instigated May Day took place in America, the United States did not adopt it as a legal holiday, and the countries that did celebrated the day in unique ways. May Day was particularly embraced in the Soviet Union and Eastern-bloc, but with the fall of communism in Eastern Europe the holiday has grown more and more removed from its violent origins. This is not unlike Labor Day in America, which is little remembered for the labor required to grant us this one day off. Aside from eating the standard hot dog and taking a day off from your usual Monday laboring, what Labor Day traditions do you have? Labor Day - Holidays - HISTORY.com Labor Day A+E Networks Introduction Observed on the first Monday in September, Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers. It was created by the labor movement in the late 19th century and became a federal holiday in 1894. Labor Day also symbolizes the end of summer for many Americans, and is celebrated with parties, parades and athletic events. Google Labor Day, an annual celebration of workers and their achievements, originated during one of American labor history’s most dismal chapters.

In the late 1800s, at the height of the Industrial Revolution in the United States, the average American worked 12-hour days and seven-day weeks in order to eke out a basic living. Despite restrictions in some states, children as young as 5 or 6 toiled in mills, factories and mines across the country, earning a fraction of their adult counterparts’ wages. People of all ages, particularly the very poor and recent immigrants, often faced extremely unsafe working conditions, with insufficient access to fresh air, sanitary facilities and breaks. As manufacturing increasingly supplanted agriculture as the wellspring of American employment, labor unions, which had first appeared in the late 18th century, grew more prominent and vocal. They began organizing strikes and rallies to protest poor conditions and compel employers to renegotiate hours and pay. Many of these events turned violent during this period, including the infamous Haymarket Riot of 1886, in which several Chicago policemen and workers were killed. Others gave rise to longstanding traditions: On September 5, 1882, 10,000 workers took unpaid time off to march from City Hall to Union Square in New York City, holding the first Labor Day parade in U.S.

history. The idea of a “workingmen’s holiday,” celebrated on the first Monday in September, caught on in other industrial centers across the country, and many states passed legislation recognizing it.Congress would not legalize the holiday until 12 years later, when a watershed moment in American labor history brought workers’ rights squarely into the public’s view. On May 11, 1894, employees of the Pullman Palace Car Company in Chicago went on strike to protest wage cuts and the firing of union representatives. On June 26, the American Railroad Union, led by Eugene V. Debs , called for a boycott of all Pullman railway cars, crippling railroad traffic nationwide. To break the strike, the federal government dispatched troops to Chicago, unleashing a wave of riots that resulted in the deaths of more than a dozen workers. In the wake of this massive unrest and in an attempt to repair ties with American workers, Congress passed an act making Labor Day a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.More than a century later, the true founder of Labor Day has yet to be identified. Many credit Peter J.

McGuire, cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, while others have suggested that Matthew Maguire, a secretary of the Central Labor Union, first proposed the holiday.Labor Day is still celebrated in cities and towns across the United States with parades, picnics, barbecues, fireworks displays and other public gatherings. For many Americans, particularly children and young adults, it represents the end of the summer and the start of the back-to-school season. Tags Labor Day - USA Holiday LABOR DAY Celebrations: Parades, Family reunions, Picnics, Fireworks and Public art events iImage Credit: Photoxpress Labor Day is celebrated as a national holiday on the first Monday in September in Canada and United States since the 1880s to pay tribute to the contributions, workers have made to make the country strong and prosper. In most of the other countries 1st May is celebrated as Labor Day. The first Labor Day in the USA was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5 1882, in New York City as per the plans of the Central Labor Union. In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the Labor Day holiday, as originally proposed.

Labor Day is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of the Canadian and American workers Nowadays Labor Day is regarded as a day of parades, speeches and political demonstrations. In US this day is symbolized as the end of the summer. People enjoy the day with their friends and families, go for boating, picnics, fireworks and much more. Labor Day Observances What is Labor Day? Here's what you need to know about one of America's most important holidays. + READ ARTICLE The first Monday of September means that white clothes are out, sales are in , summer holidays are over and classes begin. For many of us (but far from all of us ), it’s a welcome day off of work or school , ahead of what is likely to be a busier month than the last. But the Labor Day holiday has a storied past, one of violence and celebration, that’s embedded deep in the history of the American labor movement. And while it has spread around the world in different forms, Labor Day has distinctly American roots. Here’s a quick primer on the meaning and history of the holiday. When did Labor Day begin?

The modern holiday is widely traced back to an organized parade in New York City in 1882. Union leaders had called for what they had labelled a “monster labor festival” on Tuesday, Sept. 5, according to Linda Stinson, a former historian for the Department of Labor (the idea for a general labor festival may have originated in Canada , which today also celebrates “Labour Day” on the first Monday in September). Initially that morning, few people showed up, and organizers worried that workers had been reluctant to surrender a day’s pay to join the rally. But soon the crowds began flowing in from across the city, and by the end of the day some 10,000 people had marched in the parade and joined festivities afterward in what the press dubbed “a day of the people.” When did it become an official holiday? The practice of holding annual festivities to celebrate workers spread across the country, but Labor Day didn’t become a national holiday for more than a decade. Oregon became the first state to declare it a holiday in 1887, and states like New York, Massachusetts and Colorado soon followed suit.

Under President Grover Cleveland, and amid growing awareness of the labor movement, the first Monday in September became a national holiday in 1896. Why is it on the first Monday in September anyway? Labor union leaders had pushed for a September date for the New York demonstration, which coincided with a conference in the city of the Knights of Labor, one of the largest and most influential of the unions. The first two New York City Labor Days took place on the 5th of September, but in 1884, the third annual New York City Labor Day holiday was scheduled for the first Monday in September, and that date stuck. The September rally would soon clash with International Worker’s Day on May 1, which arose out of what is known as the Haymarket Affair. On May 4, 1886, protesters in Chicago gathered to demand an 8-hour workday. Toward the end of the day, a peaceful demonstration devolved into violence when a bomb was hurled toward the police, killing one officer instantly and injuring others. The police responded by firing into the crowd, killing a still undetermined number of people.

The incident enraged labor activists but also fueled fears in America that the labor movement had become radicalized, prompting a crackdown on labors groups: the bomb thrower was never identified, but four people were hanged for their alleged involvement. In the wake of the Haymarket Affair, Union leaders and socialists declared May 1 as International Workers’ Day, and the day was and continues to be unofficially observed in the U.S. It’s also that date that most other countries officially or unofficially observe as a holiday in honor of workers. But when President Grover Cleveland moved to create a national labor holiday, he chose to avoid the thorny history of that May date. So what’s the difference between Labor Day and May Day (International Workers’ Day) in the U.S.? Jonathan Cutler, associate professor of sociology at Wesleyan, described Labor Day as a “government alternative” to May Day in an informative interview with NPR about the Haymarket Affair. May Day may have helped promote the creation of a national holiday, but Labor Day is associated with a different significance. “May Day has always been linked to the demand for less work and more pay; Labor Day celebrates the ‘dignity’ of work,” Cutler said in the interview.

We have Monday off, but does the labor community still actually celebrate the holiday? Yep. To this day there is still a major parade in New York City (and other cities across the country, large and small), and the #UnionStrong will probably make a big showing on Twitter. It’s true that union membership has been declining for years, but many of the challenges that faced workers more than a century ago are still being overcome today, whether by the growing movement for higher wages in the fast food industry or by overworked tech and finance employees calling for better hours. “If there is anyone who needs to attend to the spirit of Haymarket, it is the American white-collar professional who works 10 hour days, including many weekends, and who has fewer paid vacation days than other white-collar professionals around the world,” Cutler said in the interview with NPR. So, are white clothes really out? Why do Americans celebrate Labor Day in September? | The Professional Interpreter Why do Americans celebrate Labor Day in September? August 28, 2014 § 11 Comments Dear Colleagues, For those of you who are reading this blog in the United States: Happy Labor Day!

Yes, Monday is Labor Day in the United States and we celebrate it as a major holiday; one of those “real” holidays when the banks are closed, the mail is not delivered, and kids stay home from school. I have been asked many times by my foreign friends and colleagues why is it that we celebrate Labor Day in September instead of May 1st. like most countries in Europe, Latin America, and elsewhere do. Then, the second question that always follows the one above is: “But the labor movement celebrated with an international holiday on May 1st. commemorates the events of Chicago in 1886…” The fact is that most Americans have never heard of the events of 1886 when a peaceful labor rally in Haymarket Square in Chicago suddenly turned violent after police arrived and ordered the meeting to end. A bomb was thrown into the crowd, and the police started to shoot and beat the crowd. In a matter of minutes eight people were killed and over 120 police and civilians were injured. The police seized the opportunity to arrest eight anarchists, that perhaps today would be referred to as labor rights activists, and the authorities charged them with conspiracy to commit murder even though the police had sparked the riot.

Seven of the eight arrested were sentenced to death, and one of the jurors at their trial was a relative of one of the dead police officers. This is how the labor movement started in the United States. For a long time the media and government were firmly allied with the business community while labor organizers were viewed as criminals. Today in the United States labor unions are controversial, and with good reason. Many of them have been run as criminal enterprises, with deep connections to organized crime; many operate in a blatantly coercive and undemocratic fashion. Union demands and strong-arm tactics have crippled some American industries and limited the number of jobs. In today’s America the unions get publicity when they step up to defend a member who should be punished, when the baseball players’ union fights suspension of players who have cheated by using steroids, or when the union protects incompetent teachers in public schools. There are many who support organized labor, although it seems to be less people every day, and labor rights are a good thing that America needed in the 19th.

century and still needs today; however, the real perception (well-deserved in many cases) that unions are troublemakers, and the national fight against communism from the cold war days, have put these events in Chicago at the end of the 19th. century in the forgotten corner of American history. Our Labor Day holiday is very different from most around the world. Instead of commemorating a tragic event, we celebrate those who have contributed to America’s social and economic achievements with their work. Since 1882 we have celebrated labor on the first Monday in September as a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of the United States. Labor Day has come to be considered by most Americans as the end of summer; the last barbecue of the year, the beginning of football season, the start of a new school year. This weekend millions of Americans will gather around the grill, at the shopping malls, and football fields, to officially end the summer of 2014. It is perhaps the second most American of all holidays (after Thanksgiving that is) because it describes the mind and spirit of the American people.

Regardless of your political persuasion and your support, love, disdain or indifference towards organized labor, the first Monday in September is a holiday when Americans decided to celebrate work and creativity while most of the world chose to commemorate a tragic event that happened on American soil but is unknown to an overwhelming majority of the American people. I hope this brief explanation of the reasons why Americans are staying home on Monday celebrating a holiday with the same name as another holiday celebrated abroad, but with a very different meaning and motivation behind it, helps you understand better the United States. Now, without bringing up any political views on the labor movement, I ask you to please share with us when it is that you observe Labor Day in your respective countries and why it is a holiday there. Share this:

Question: What does the USA celebrate on the first Monday in September?
Answer: Labor Day